<p>Requiring 247 for a place in the final and beginning the day on eight without loss, Karnataka had reached 225 for nine in 78.2 overs when a combination of rain and bad light brought a halt to the proceedings at the Gurunanak College grounds.<br /><br />Pragyan Ojha, who had taken five wickets in Karnataka’s stuttering run-chase, hit it lucky with the coin as his counterpart Deepak Chougule called wrong. Ojha was standing in for regular captain Arjun Yadav, who sat out the match with a sore throat.<br />In the final beginning at the MA Chidambaram stadium on Friday, Hyderabad will lock horns with Combined Districts, who rode on a KB Arun Karthik century to crush Assam by seven wickets. Thilak Naidu held the Karnataka innings together with a solid unbeaten 72 (166b, 8x4), but the experienced wicket-keeper was left to plough a lone furrow as apart from the in-form Amit Verma (36), no one else gave him any worthwhile support.<br /><br />From 88 for four, Naidu and Verma put on 65, but the latter’s dismissal triggered another collapse as Karnataka slipped to 178 for eight when the first interruption arrived. A second ensued at 207 for eight, and immediately on resumption, Naidu lost A Mithun’s company. Naidu and KP Appanna had taken the total to within 20 runs of the target when came the final interruption.<br /><br />Ojha finished with five for 67 while seamer SM Shoaib picked up three for 36 in 21 overs.<br /><br />In the other semifinal, it was Districts all the way. Setting out in pursuit of Assam’s 267, they were well served by Karthik, who made a flowing 124 from 160 deliveries with five fours and four sixes. Karthik and X Thalaivan Sargunam added 60 for the first wicket, after which the former was involved in a stand of 102 for the second with R Srinivasan (31). S Suresh Kumar applied the finishing touches with 55 (55b, 3x4, 2x6).<br /><br />Brief scores: At IC-GNC grounds: Hyderabad: 246 all out in 84.3 overs drew Karnataka: 225/9 in 78.2 overs (VS Thilak Naidu 72 n.o., Amit Verma 36; SM Shoaib 3-36, Pragyan Ojha 5-67). Hyderabad entered final by spin of coin.<br /><br />At MA Chidambaram stadium: Assam 267 all out in 87.5 overs lt to Combined Districts: 270/3 in 65.3 overs (KB Arun Karthik 124, S Suresh Kumar 55 n.o., R Srinivasan 31, K Sriram 33).</p>
<p>Requiring 247 for a place in the final and beginning the day on eight without loss, Karnataka had reached 225 for nine in 78.2 overs when a combination of rain and bad light brought a halt to the proceedings at the Gurunanak College grounds.<br /><br />Pragyan Ojha, who had taken five wickets in Karnataka’s stuttering run-chase, hit it lucky with the coin as his counterpart Deepak Chougule called wrong. Ojha was standing in for regular captain Arjun Yadav, who sat out the match with a sore throat.<br />In the final beginning at the MA Chidambaram stadium on Friday, Hyderabad will lock horns with Combined Districts, who rode on a KB Arun Karthik century to crush Assam by seven wickets. Thilak Naidu held the Karnataka innings together with a solid unbeaten 72 (166b, 8x4), but the experienced wicket-keeper was left to plough a lone furrow as apart from the in-form Amit Verma (36), no one else gave him any worthwhile support.<br /><br />From 88 for four, Naidu and Verma put on 65, but the latter’s dismissal triggered another collapse as Karnataka slipped to 178 for eight when the first interruption arrived. A second ensued at 207 for eight, and immediately on resumption, Naidu lost A Mithun’s company. Naidu and KP Appanna had taken the total to within 20 runs of the target when came the final interruption.<br /><br />Ojha finished with five for 67 while seamer SM Shoaib picked up three for 36 in 21 overs.<br /><br />In the other semifinal, it was Districts all the way. Setting out in pursuit of Assam’s 267, they were well served by Karthik, who made a flowing 124 from 160 deliveries with five fours and four sixes. Karthik and X Thalaivan Sargunam added 60 for the first wicket, after which the former was involved in a stand of 102 for the second with R Srinivasan (31). S Suresh Kumar applied the finishing touches with 55 (55b, 3x4, 2x6).<br /><br />Brief scores: At IC-GNC grounds: Hyderabad: 246 all out in 84.3 overs drew Karnataka: 225/9 in 78.2 overs (VS Thilak Naidu 72 n.o., Amit Verma 36; SM Shoaib 3-36, Pragyan Ojha 5-67). Hyderabad entered final by spin of coin.<br /><br />At MA Chidambaram stadium: Assam 267 all out in 87.5 overs lt to Combined Districts: 270/3 in 65.3 overs (KB Arun Karthik 124, S Suresh Kumar 55 n.o., R Srinivasan 31, K Sriram 33).</p>
